Gun turret



A. G. ROSE GUN TURRET Aug. 3, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 1, 1944 J llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll :I I

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. ATTORNEYS Aug. 3, 1954 (5 055 2,685,233

GUN TURRET Original Filed Jan. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN :1 if ATG. OSE.

av. W ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STATES FFICE GUN TURRET Application June 11, 1951, Serial No. 232,834

Claims priority, application Great Britain April 19, 1943 6 Claims.

This invention relates to gun turrets of the type in which a gun or gun assembly is pivotally mounted about an axis of elevation on a gunsupporting platform which is rotatably mounted on a stationary support for movement about a training axis and in which power-actuated train- 7 ing and elevating means are provided.

' elevation of the gun or gun assembly and adapted upon pivotal movement about such axes to operate respectively means arranged for movement in synchronism with the gun-supporting platform and controlling the action of said training means and means arranged for movement in synchron sm with the gun or gun assembly about its axis of elevation and controlling said elevating means, such operation causing the gun or gun assembly to rotate about the training axis and axis of elevation respectively in the same direction as the sighting arm through an angle substantially equal to the angle or rotation of the sighting arm. The power-actuated training and elevating means are conveniently in the form of hydraulic motors and the controlling means for the training and elevating means are in the form of hydraulic valves.

The invention is particularly useful in its application to aircraft armament and by way of example, such an application will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are side and front elevations, respectively, of a gun turret constructed in accordance with the invention, for use in aircraft.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pair of guns I! are mounted for pivotal movement about an axis of elevation in a pair of bearing members I2 secured to a platform l3 which is rotatably mounted on a stationary annulus 15 secured in the tail of the fuselage M of an aircraft, the axis of rotation of the platform being the common training axis of the guns I l. The guns H are mounted in carriers 16 which are provided with suitable recoil mechanism and are attached to the ends of a common supporting member I! on which is mounted the inner portions of a pair of oil motors housed in bearings [8 formed part of the bearing members I 2. A single elevating valve !9 controls both elevating motors by supplying fluid to both motors simultaneously, the valve 1 9 being attached to one of the gun carriers 46 and suitably connected to the motors. Operation of the valve I9 is brought about by movement of a valve-operating arm 2! which is connected by a pivoted link 22 to an actuating member constituted by an operating frame 23 freely mounted about the common axis of elevation of the guns 5!. The operating frame 23 is connected at 25 by means of a pivoted link 24 to one arm 25 of a two-armed lever 26, 2! pivoted at 28 in a bearing 29 secured to the rotatable platform l3, the arm 21 being connected by a pivoted operating link 3! to an arm 32 projecting from a sighting arm 33 carrying a gun sight 35, suitably harmonized with the guns H, and formed with a handle portion conveniently shaped for manipulation by the gunner and on which is mounted a firing button for electrically operating the fir ing mechanism of the guns in known manner. The arm 2? of the pivoted lever 26, 27! together with the link 3! and the arm 32 constitutes a parallel motion linkage connecting the sighting arm 33 to the pivoted lever 26, 2?. The arm 25 of the pivoted member 26, 27 together with the link 24 and the efiective arm of the frame 23 which extends from the pivot 25 to the axis of elevation constitutes a further parallel motion linkage connecting the pivoted lever 26, 2? to the frame 23. The sighting arm 33 is mounted in a pair of bearings 34 formed in an operating member 36 pivotally mounted in the main framework of the turret for rotation about an axis coincident With the training axis of the guns 5 l. The operating member 36 is formed with an arm 3'! which is connected by means of a pivoted link 38 to the valve-operating arm 39 of a training valve 4! attached to a bracket 62 extending from the main framework of the turret. The valve 4! is suitably connected to a training motor 43 attached to the rotatable platform E3. The motor 43 drives the rotatable platform It by means of a pinion A l engaging a suitable gear on the stationary annulus l5.

It will be seen that pivotal movement of the operating member as by means of the sighting arm 33 causes the arm 37 of the operating member 36 to operate the valve ll which, in turn, causes the oil motor 53 to drive the platform l3, while movement of the sighting arm 33 about its 3 axis parallel to the axis of elevation brings about operation of the valve I9 through the link 3| and associated mechanism, thus causing the elevation motors to elevate or depress the guns II in accordance with the direction of movement of the sighting arm 33.

The construction of the valves 4| and I9 is such that operation of the oil motors is substantially instantaneous upon operation of the valves so that the guns are caused to move substantially simultaneously with the sighting arm.

The construction of the valves 19 and 4| is the subject of United States Letters Patent No. 2,455,315, to which reference may be made for any details of construction and operation not apparent from this description.

The gunner normally sits on a seat 46 provided on the platform 13 and thus rotates with the platform during training movement of the guns, and under such conditions come gunners find it difficult to control the sensitive movement of the sighting arm 33 accurately, presumably as a consequence of their movement with the platform 3. It i found that this difficulty is avoided when the gunner is able to place his feet on some part of the aircraft that is stationary relative to the aircraft. Accordingly, the platform [3 is provided with an aperture giving access to a floor member 47 of the aircraft so that the gunner may put his feet on such member while manipulating the sighting arm. Suitable guides are provided on the sides of the aperture so that if the gunner does not move his feet on the floor member 4'! in accordance with the movement of the platform It the appropriate guide will do so until such time as the gunner finds it necessary to take up another position.

I claim:

1. A gun turret comprising a gun-supporting platform rotatably mounted on a support for movement about a training axis, a gun assembly pivotally mounted on said platform for movement about an axis of elevation, power-actuated training means for rotating said platform about the training axis, a training controlling means mounted for movement with said platform about the training axis and controlling the action of said training means, poweractuated elevation means for rotating said gun assembly about the axis of elevation, an elevation controlling means mounted for movement with the gun assembly about the axis of elevation and controlling the action of said elevation means, an operating member rotatably mounted for movement relatively to the gun assembly about an axis coincident with the training axis, a sighting arm pivotally mounted on said operating member for movement relatively to the gun assembly about an axis parallel to the axis of elevation, said sighting arm having means which, upon pivotal movement of said sighting arm about said parallel axis, operates said elevation controlling means, and means which by rotating said operating member about said training axis, operates said training controlling means, such movement of the sighting arm causing the gun assembly to commence its elevational and training movements substantially simultaneously with those of said sighting arm and to continue such movement substantially in synchronism with those of said sighting arm.

2. A gun turret according to claim 1, wherein the power-actuated training and elevation means each comprises a hydraulic motor in driving connection with the gun assembly and wherein the said training and elevation controlling means each comprises a valve so arranged in the hydraulic system that the operation by movement of said sighting arm in either direction causes the motor to rotate in one direction or the other according to the direction of movement of said sighting arm.

3. A gun turret according to claim 2, comprising a common gun support pivotally mounted for movement about the axis of elevation, a pair of guns mounted on said common support, and a pair of elevation motors mounted on said common support, one adjacent each gun, said motors being mounted for operation simultaneously by a single elevation controlling valve.

4. A gun turret according to claim 1, wherein the sighting arm is connected to the elevation controlling means by means comprising a pivotal member mounted for movement about an axis parallel to the axis of elevation, a parallel motion linkage connecting the sighting arm to said pivotal member, an operating link constituting part of said linkage and being disposed with its axis substantially parallel to the training axis, an actuating member freely mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of elevation, a further parallel motion linkage connecting said pivotal member to said actuating member, and means operatively connecting said actuating member to said elevation controlling means.

5. A gun turret according to claim 2, wherein the sighting arm i connected to the elevation controlling means by means comprising a pivotal member mounted for movement about an axis parallel to the axis of elevation, a parallel motion linkage connecting the sighting arm to said pivotal member, an operating link constituting part of said linkage and being disposed with its axis substantially parallel to the training axis, an actuating member freely mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of elevation, a further parallel motion linkage connecting said pivotal member to said actuating member, and means operatively connecting said actuating member to said elevation controlling means.

6. In an aircraft, a gun turret according to claim 1, wherein the gun supporting platform is formed with an aperture for the passage of the gunners feet, and a floor portion is provided on the aircraft for contact by the gunners feet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,284,611 Barnhart May 26, 1942 2,320,238 Horncastle May 25, 1943 2,388,010 Pohl Oct. 30, 1945 2,390,013 Trotter Nov. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 797,795 France Feb. 24, 1937 463,121 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1937 489,208 Great Britain July 21, 1938 545,459 Great Britain Apr. 18, 1942 577,908 Great Britain June 5, 1946 

